


Returning Reality

by meekobb



Category: NCIS
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-16
Updated: 2010-11-16
Packaged: 2017-10-25 22:58:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/275782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meekobb/pseuds/meekobb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ziva's back but there is so much more she wants to say...and do... general spoilers through seasons 7/8</p>
            </blockquote>





	Returning Reality

Ziva was finishing off her report on the latest case that the team just managed to solve that day. It was a difficult, week long investigation into the death of Naval petty officer that ended up being murdered by his jilted ex girlfriend when she discovered that she was dumped...for a guy.

Turning off her computer, she hummed to herself as she began to collect her belongings. As she put some things into her purse, she glanced over at McGee, who was thankfully distracted by a conversation with another agent away from the team's bull pen.

"You are serving dinner, yes? I have the movie for tonight but I need to know what kind of wine I should pick up," she questioned her partner who was still slamming his frustrations against the keyboard. "Since all that I had was finished last week..." she trailed off as she studied him curiously.

"Hmm, sorry, what?" Tony asked as he looked up from his game of Pacman just long enough to be tagged by the red ghost. "Ahh, crap!"

It had been a particularly draining week for the team, having worked on a murder case, monitoring duty and another seminar on sexual harassment in the workplace.

Fortunately, his bet with McGee on whether or not Petty Officer Walker left his murderous girlfriend for a girl or a guy left him with no paperwork to file tonight.

"Tony. What are you doing?" Ziva asked as she pulled the strap to her bag over her shoulder and went over to his desk. She leaned over his shoulder and scoffed at the computer game.

"Really? You are not going to be sitting here playing this until you win, are you?"

"No..." Tony replied with an insincere shrug, "I was just passing the time until we can leave. Are you ready to go now?"

Ziva did not speak, for she did not have to. Just the slight narrowing of her eyes was enough to get the message across that she was ready to leave.

"You should have got in on my bet with McGiggles," Tony grinned as he shutdown his computer and began pulling on his jacket. "He could have spent the night doing your paperwork too."

"No I wouldn't Tony!" McGee snapped as he re-entered the bullpen and sat at his desk. "Because Ziva doesn't shirk her work onto her partners."

She spun around and pointed. "Ah ah ah, you still owe me for the those pictures on your screensaver that were supposed to have been deleted. Now, tell me McGee," Ziva said in her sultry voice as she made her way across the small area between the two desks. "How is it possible for those same images to appear on Palmer's iPod? Hmm?"

"I did delete them, Ziva. I swear!" McGee protested. "Palmer must've hacked my computer, or he got Abby to do it, or... you're not buying it are you?"

"No."

"What do you want?" McGee asked, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I want you to ... keep Abby entertained for the evening," Ziva replied with a grin that normally would be plastered on Tony's face after he pulled some elaborate prank that no one could top. Little did McGee, and Tony, knew, Abby had not had her Caf-Pow all day for the machine was broken and the service would not be able to send someone to repair it until the following workday - Monday.

"I was going to see if she wanted to have some take-out with me anyways, seen as how we're both working late," McGee replied before reaching for his phone and dialling Abby's Lab.

Ziva turned back to her partner, "Ready to get out of her before shit hits the roof?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Tony grinned as he began heading toward the elevator. "G'night McGee."

"Goodnight McGee. Have a pleasant evening," she grinned at him as she followed.

"So how come Jimmy gets to keep the pictures and I can't?" Tony asked as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside.

She didn't answer. Only stood there humming a soft tune to herself. "You did not answer my earlier question," she pointed out.

"Well what are you in the mood for?" Tony asked with a sly grin as the elevator began its descent.

Ziva shook her head. "This is the first night that we are holding movie nights back at your apartment since my returning to the team. Do I need to get red wine, or white wine?"

"I was thinking about ordering some Italian, or maybe Chinese. What do you think?" Tony asked. He really didn't care what wine they drunk or what food they ate so long as Ziva was there.

"It does not matter to me. I will be at your apartment in about an hour. I just need to get something from my place on the way as well," she said as she stepped out of the elevator to head for the parking garage.

"An hour then, and bring something red!" Tony said as he headed in the opposite direction, digging out his cell phone as he did so.

Nodding Ziva continued to her car. As soon as she started the engine, the vibrating sounds of a popular Israeli rap group blasted from her car, muffled by the windows. Driving past Tony, she waved a hand and threw him a wink.

The hour was passing by quickly. But by the time he'd arrived home, Tony had already ordered some food from Panucci's, one of his favourite Italian restaurants. He had also showered and changed into something more comfortable, prepared his home theatre system for the nights entertainment and tidied up a little.

He thought about setting the mood with music, some candles and such, but the last time he did that, Ziva, Gibbs and McGee spent a week torturing him about it. "This isn't a date," he told himself, lacking in reassurance. "It's just two colleagues spending some time together outside of work. She's a friend... she is."

Ziva performed the errands she needed to get done. She went back to her apartment and changed out of her clothes. It was their usual, dinner and movie on a night that was usually meant to be spent with someone one was dating, or intimate with. Tony and she was not like that anymore. It was a physical one out of work, before Michael. Before Vance broke up the team. Little did he know, he broke much more than that. Even if it was for a greater purpose that was justifiable.

She stopped at a local winery and selected a bottle of Chianti, believing Tony would enjoy the Italian wine. To go with the wine, Ziva also got a digitally remastered release of Casablanca. Heading up to his apartment, she looked at his windows from where she stood outside her parked car. Ziva felt a mixture of apprehension and despair. Apprehension for the clearly intimate setting they placed themselves in every week. Despair for being coward enough to push it past the usual sexual tension and teasing they bantered back and forth between each other since they first met, before Ari.

Shaking her head at the path her thoughts were beginning to drag her down, Ziva passed on the use of the elevator and climbed the stairs up to Tony's apartment. Knocking on the door, her slender hands gripped on the dvd case and hugged the bottle of wine closer to her body.

"Just a second!" Tony shouted as he finished serving the food, wiping his hands on the towel slung over his shoulder, he opened the door with a warm and welcoming smile. "One hour on the dot. Gotta love Mossad timekeeping," he grinned.

She walked in, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Mossad does train for time keeping well. However, I am not Mossad anymore and," Ziva hesitated. "And I do not wish to discuss that." She passed him the bottle of wine, "Is this acceptable?"

"Yeah," he winced, "Why don't I go open this while I also find a crowbar to pry my foot from my mouth." He knew that her history with the Mossad was a sensitive subject. Everything that happened with her father and Ari was still fresh in her mind and her heart. Did he say it because he was nervous and trying to break the tension with a lame attempt at humor? Or was it because he wanted her to open up to him?

Ziva walked into the living room and pulled off her coat. "Dinner smells wonderful. Did you order like you mentioned before or did you cook?" she questioned as she turned back to go to the kitchen to collect her glass of wine from Tony. She brought the dvd with her and held it up for him to approve or disapprove.

"I would've cooked for us if I had the time, but this is the next best thing," Tony grinned as he took the DVD case. "Well now, an excellent choice, Agent David. I'm starting to see a pattern in your movie choices. Romeo and Juliet, Titanic and now Casablanca? Aren't our love lives tragic enough, or has McGee been filling you in on my Bogie impression?"

"I happen to enjoy this film and has been years since I last saw it. It has nothing to do with your Humphrey Bogart impressions. I've seen them all before, remember? If it bothers you so much, then why don't you go and select another choice from your collection."

She went up to him and took her glass from his hand. "Dinner then movie? Or dinner with the movie?

"You're the guest Ziva, if you don't mind eating from a TV tray we can watch the movie," Tony replied with a shrug and a mock pout. "Or I could set up the table with candles and put on some music and have you, McGee and Gibbs rip into me all week. At least Abby and Ducky thought it was sweet."

Ziva looked up at him in wonder. It appeared he was genuinely put off by her suggestion of eating during the movie. Then again she was by her own idea as well. It was true that they gave him a hard time about it, and she hadn't needed to tell them about what Tony had done that night, but it also wasn't like they were in a romantic relationship like that. Did he want one? Did she? So many changes they went through over the years and now that she was back and no one could take her away from the team, and Tony, Ziva would fight tooth and nail.

"Dinner and music sounds lovely," she answered softly after thinking it over. That's what she does a lot of now; thinking about things over and over before choosing. Ziva needed to make this choice now.

Tony dug out the remote control to his stereo system from his pants pocket and clicked it on. Within moments, soft guitar music was piped into the room. "Is this okay?" he asked as he dimmed the lights slightly.

"Yes." Ziva reached out to take the opened wine bottle and his glass for him while he carried their dinner to the table. Eying the food he had ordered, she noticed it was slightly more extravagant than they normally went for - especially compared to the past when they've ordered from the restaurant. "Is this a special occasion that I was unaware of Tony? That is neither pizza nor spaghetti."

"How long have we been having these movie nights Ziva?" he asked with a smile, all be it a serious one.

She didn't have to reply as they both knew that they shared these kind of evenings long enough. An eyebrow twitched in answer gesturing for him to continue.

"And in all that time, we've never really treat ourselves to anything but an old movie, a nice but cheap bottle of wine and take-out food that we can order at any time," Tony explained as he pulled out Ziva's chair for her. "I figured you deserved to be pampered a little tonight."

"Why just me? You've worked just has hard as I have. Though I do believe this week has been more strenuous for you with our suspect laying an impressive right hook on you when we first interviewed her," she grinned as she reached up to his eye that had a greenish yellow tinge around it.

Tony hissed and physically winced. "Yeah...ow. Fortunately for me, my partner put her on her ass, faster than I could say Sick 'er Ziva."

"Glad I could be your guard dog," she laughed as she pulled her hand back. "You should have been watching. The woman had a wide opening but luckily her positioning prevented more damage."

"She could have done more than punch me, Ziva. She caught me off guard, she even caught Gibbs off guard! She could've really snapped and snatched my weapon... I wouldn't have put it past her," Tony explained, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You saved my ass."

Ziva sombered for a moment, dropping her eyes from his face as she took her seat. "That is what partners do Tony. Come, let us eat. You may say grace as your people say."

"I'm not very religious Ziva, the closest we came to saying grace in the DiNozzo household was waiting on my dad to pour himself a fresh glass of scotch before dinner," he said sincerely as he sat down to the table. As privileged as his childhood was, mealtimes weren't happy times for him.

"Very well," she said as she looked over the choices while she pulled at a piece of the most delicious garlic bread she ever smelled. "What is that?" she asked of one of the main options taking a serving of the chicken marsala.

"Okay, here we have Roasted Eggplant Mozzarella Ravioli," Tony smiled, as the aromas filled his senses. "We also have Lobster Risotto." He wanted to knock her socks off, so he chose a selection of the best foods that Panucci's.

The ravioli sounded positively delicious and Ziva eyed it from her seat. Maybe after her chicken she would have some if she was still hungry. "Save me some for later. I really do want to try that," she said taking a sip of her wine. "I think I should have gotten another bottle..." Everything looked extremely delectable to her, right down to the man that was hosting the dinner.

"As luck would have it, I found a bottle of red in the back of my fridge," Tony replied, "Remember when we watched Gone With The Wind at your place a couple of weeks back?"

Ziva nodded as she ate her meal. She recalled it being a pleasant evening all things considering. Aside from the team getting worked up over the case, Tony and she fell asleep on her couch in each others' arms about midway through the movie because they were so overtired and the wine helped in calming their anxiety.

"Well I was going to bring a couple of bottles with me, but because I had to file the paperwork on the case with the Marine Captain's missing daughters, I was running late so I only grabbed the one bottle," he explained.

"It was good wine, the glass and half that I managed to finish. However I am developing a fondness for this Chianti," she smiled holding up her glass in toast. "To good food, employment, and..." she hesitated in selecting her words carefully, "...and family."

Tony held up his glass and smiled, "To dinner guests, partners and... friends." His smiled faded slightly as the last word escaped his lips. Friends... is that all we'll ever be? he asked himself.

She couldn't find it in herself to drink to that and his faltering smile told her he wasn't quite sure himself either. It's been a dance they danced far too long. Setting her glass down, Ziva looked at him. "Is that what you want?" she asked slowly preparing for his rejection that he didn't even want friendship.

"Of course," Tony replied, visibly shocked by her question. "Why would you ask me that? Unless... oh!" It dawned on him, she was asking what he wanted from her, not whether or not he wanted to be a friend as well as a partner. Placing his glass down, he took a deep breath.

"Ziva... everything we've been through together, everything with Ari, Jeanne and the la Grenouille, your father, all the cases... all of it, even through all that, there has been something between us. Hasn't there?"

"I do believe so," Ziva said pushing her glass of wine further back on the table to avoid spillage. "At least something more than just a relationship between coworkers. Gibbs, Abby, and even McGee are my family now..."

"So, do you see me as a brother? A cousin? Or something more?" he asked, a warm feeling filling his heart. She considers the team to be family.

She looked at him quizzically. How did she see him now? How did she see him then? "I was never able to put a label to you Tony. Even when I first came here and did not know then what I have learned over the years. But for the answer you are seeking, I have never considered you a brother or a cousin. You are, by your words, something more. Something I never saw myself acknowledging in my life as Mossad."

"Believe me Ziva... I never saw this coming either," Tony replied as he bravely reached across the table and took her hand in his. "When I first met you... well I admit, I thought you were hot. And I felt similar feelings to when I first met Kate, a beautiful, smart and challenging partner. But my relationship with Kate turned into a brother & sister type of relationship. Practical jokes, teasing... she was special to me."

Ziva grinned, "Yes, I remember. You wanted to do page 57 with me. It was in that smirk that I knew it. Always with a one track mind then, and it lead straight to the bedroom. I do not think you saw me the same as Kate. I read her dossier and was not as...intimidating?"

"Oh she could be when necessary," Tony said as he thought back the spring break picture bribing that went on. "But my relationship with you, it went in a completely different direction. I was attracted to you... like Kate, I initially saw you as a conquest... but uh, that soon changed too. With Kate, I became like a brother to her, and she was like a sister to me... but with you... I- I love you in a different way."

"You love me?" she asked, repeating his words for her own confirmation. Whether it be for reassurance or not, Ziva had often dreamed of hearing those words. Perhaps not just from Tony, but from her father at one point before he sent her on a mission essentially to die. Turning her head away, she worked to recall something that was flashing back in her thoughts. "Saleem's truth serum..."

"What about it?" Tony asked with a frown. While under the influence of the truth serum, he had fought hard to keep himself from revealing secrets about his feelings for Ziva, fearing that if their plan failed, Saleem would use that knowledge to his advantage.

Ziva looked him dead in the eye, her own emotions warring in her own darkened gaze. "Tell me. Tell me what you would have said," she demanded. She wanted to - no, needed to know that even then after all she put him through, what she accused him of, that he loved her then.

"You want the truth Ziva... you really wanna know what I was trying my hardest not to say in front of Saleem..." He looked away, taking more deep breaths. "I care for you Ziva, alright. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life. The thought of Saleem finding that out and hurting you to get answers from me... it terrified me and I knew that when we had this conversation that you'd want to know the truth... so there it is."

His words, the confirmation of her suspicions, hopes, fears and dreams all wrapped up exploded inside her. Ziva stood abruptly, shoving her chair back and in a flash she was in Tony's lap and her lips pressed firmly to his. She bit lightly on his lower lip and ran her tongue along the tender area in a soothing way, seeking entrance at the same time. No thinking, there was no time nor did she want to. All either of them would do is overthink themselves and that would just bring up Rule #12 - which needed to be trashed for all she cared at the moment.

It took a few moments for everything to sink in. He had gone from expecting a quiet night watching a movie with the woman he loved in an unrequited sense, to opening himself up to her, completely. He had everything he ever wanted sitting in his lap, kissing him with every fibre of her being and all he could think about at that moment was Why aren't you kissing her back, dummy! If Gibbs were here, he would've been slapping the back of your head repeatedly as soon as Ziva's lips touched yours!

It didn't take long afterward for Tony to return the kiss wholeheartedly, he tasted how delicious she was at that very moment and was instantly hooked. He knew that they would both need to breathe soon but he helf out for as long as he could, claiming her mouth, her face and her neck with his lips and tongue.

Sensations that Ziva long ago forced herself to forget soon flooded her being from head to toe. Letting out a breath as she had her face pressed to the side of his face, the warm rush flowing over his ear, she slowly turned her face to run her nose a light path. Her lips grazed and explored any area that they could reach while her body continued to react beyond her own conscious control, pressing herself to his body firmly - and intimately.

Tony broke their passionate embrace long enough to tell her what he'd been dying to tell her since the first time he laid eyes on her. "I want you!" he half growled-half whispered before he lifted her up and carried her toward his bedroom.

Very unlike her, Ziva giggled as she buried her face in the curve of his neck and wrapped her legs around his body as he carried her to the nearby room. "What? No hot sweaty monkey sex on the dining table? It would certainly make team dinners interesting with that knowledge," she laughed as she snaked her hands down the back of his shirt collar and scratched his skin deep enough to leave a pink trail later.

"Not for our first time Ziva," he replied softly as he approached his freshly made bed and placed her upon it. He then proceeded to begin unbuttoning his shirt, a task made difficult by his suddenly shaking hands.

Ziva's eyes drunk in the view and smiled as she reached up to take his hands in hers. She ran her thumbs over his skin to calm him down until the shaking subsided. Standing up she slid her palms down over his torso until they found the hem of the shirt he wore. Pulling she tugged it up, her eyes never leaving his as if to convey the silent intentions before she pulled the fabric up higher until it was over his head.

She stepped back after letting the shirt fall to the floor somewhere nearby. Repeating the same motion with her hands along the length of her body, she begun to pull the satin tunic up, revealing inch by inch of more skin to his eyes.

Tony struggled to keep his composure as Ziva undressed, part of him wanted nothing more than to tear her clothes from her body and ravish her. Good things come to those who wait, lad, he heard Ducky say in his mind. The Scotsman had a knack for old sayings and that one definitely sprung to mind in the current situation.

The shirt joined the other out of sight leaving her in her bra and soft yoga pants. Ziva looked up at him through her hooded eye lashes. "You look uncomfortable Tony," she purred. "It is not like we haven't undressed one another before."

Her eyes slowly passed over his body before pausing momentarily over his belt and continuing. She reached out and tugged on the buckle to pull it loose and him closer. Ziva nuzzled her nose into his chest and kissed him lightly while her fingers carefully worked their way until Tony's pants were free and unbuttoned.

"I know Ziva... it's just... I've wanted this for so long. The things I want to do to you, the things I want from you... I feel like I could go nuts," he sighed before kissing her shoulder, pushing the strap of her bra aside as he did so.

Ziva pushed his pants and shorts over his hips before turning her attention back to his face. She pulled him to look at her as she ran her tongue over her lips to moisten them, "Then show me..." She went in for a searing kiss, tasting him and raked her nails over his skin feeling him everywhere her hands could reach.

With that simple instruction, Tony pulled Ziva to him, his hands grabbing her firm buttocks roughly as he kissed her with a passion that he had never known before. His stiffening member was crushed between their stomachs almost painfully and although he longed to be inside her, he was in no rush to break their embrace.

She rubbed up against him feeling the urgency for release. "Tony," she moaned as she felt his fingers holding her. She was sure they might leave bruises later at the pressures they were moving at. Ziva did not mind. Heat flushed over her skin and the clothing she still wore was simply too much. She broke away breathless and began to undress the rest of the way, anxious for him to cool the warmth that filled her core the only way possible.

Tony cupped Ziva's naked breasts as soon as her bra dropped to the floor. Soon after, his mouth latched onto her right nipple and began to gently suck on the hardened reddish brown nub. He loved how she tasted and this was only an appetiser for what was to come.

A single finger trailed from Ziva's chest, over her toned, yet sensual stomach, over her supple hips and finally found its way to her core. He softly stroked her nether lips as he began humming and moaning against her breast.

Ziva threw her head back and let out a moan. Her fingers dug themselves into his hair, stroking lightly at the base of his hairline in the back. Her one leg raised up to wrap along side his body to open herself up to his exploring hand more. The petting he was doing wasn't enough and she wanted more. Grinding down over his palm, she conveyed her need to feel more, especially inside.

Tony grinned against her breast and grasped his manhood. Replacing the fingers buried inside her with the head of his cock, he began to gently ease himself inside Ziva, inch by agonisingly slow inch.

She let her body relax against the mattress, her hair fanned out around her head and shoulder as she looked up at him. She felt him pressing himself into her and she allowed herself to let her eyes roll back and close. Her lips parted in the anticipation of welcoming his size, but it had been awhile since she was voluntarily intimate with a man so there was the initial discomfort.

Shifting her hips to accommodate Tony and the sensation of his size, she let a hand rest on his thigh to momentarily stop his intrusion. "Just - just give me a moment," Ziva breathed out with her eyes tightly shut.

Tony paused, just as she asked, choosing to claim her lips with his own until she wished him to move within her again. The kiss was soft, yet passionate and as their lips and tongues duelled, Tony realised that all the feelings of doubt, the conflicting arguments of being with a co-worker and friend, were gone.

At that moment he knew that he wanted to be with Ziva for the rest of his life, that he would do anything and everything humanly possible that she asked of him. It seemed to him that someone had finally tamed Anthony DiNozzo and that Ziva David was the one woman that could rightfully do it.

A couple moments later she readjusted herself again and looked back up at him and nodded her permission to proceed - each moment leaving her breathless. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders keeping his body pressed against hers as she returned his kisses. Ziva's legs curled up and bent over his thighs in attempt to bring him deeper inside, each movement he made in her causing deep moans to escape from her.

Tony thrust into Ziva steadily, with slow yet determined thrusts. He intended to show her that he was all she needed from a lover, a friend and a partner. He ground his hips against hers, half moaning - half growling her name in pleasure as he did so. He wasn't going to rush this so even as his own pleasure began to build inside him, his face creased slightly into a determined frown.

Ziva knew he had more in him than what he was giving her. He faked it good enough undercover. She kept moaning his name, egging him on to give her more of him. While his thrusts were solid and filling, she wanted more from him. She looked into his green eyes and grinned wildly before pulling a move that she did that one night. In a blink, he was under her and she ruled on top of his body as she thrust her body down over his engorged flesh hard.

Taken aback by her sudden action, but not surprised by it, Tony grasped her hips and allowed her to take control, at least for a while. He could feel her inner muscles clenching at him after every downward thrust and he moaned contently every time. From the first day he laid eyes on her, he knew that she was a woman who got what she wanted, one way or another. He figured that it was one of the traits that the Mossad had sought in her when she was recruited.

Not to be outdone, Tony began thrusting his hips upward to meet her as she descended upon his manhood. "You want it rough, do ya?" he growled, "You coulda just asked."

She couldn't have sworn that she saw stars with each time he reentered her, hitting in just the right spot. Groaning, she leaned back to let her hands brace her body on his legs, her head fall back to free her hair as it brushed over Tony's knees, she rolled her hips much like a baker would roll his dough. Her muscles in her thighs flexing from the position that they were not accustomed to.

Tony's left thumb found its way to her clitoris and with each manic thrust, he would rub the pleasure centre in quick, frantic circles. He was getting close, and he knew that she could tell. "Let go Ziva, baby... let me see it, let me hear it, let me feel it," he moaned.

"Tony!" she growled out over his calls as she increased the speed of her thrusts and pushed forward, entangling her fingers in his chest hair. Ziva's skin glistened in the dim light from the thin layer of sweat that perspired in their activity. The coil that was wound up tightly kept taunting her to be let free but she wanted to hold on as long as possible. It wouldn't happen this time as she felt his pressure on her over sensitized nub increase forcing a cry out, air bursting forth from her lungs as she collapsed over and struggled to find her breath as she panted in his ear.

Tony felt Ziva stiffen, every muscle in her body tightened if only for an instant, and as she collapsed on top of him, he felt his own release surge within him. As he cried out for his new goddess, the woman that he was currently buried inside, held her tightly to his chest, unwilling to ever let her go.

After what seemed like an hour of breathless panting, that was in fact only mere moments, he began to laugh uncontrollably.

She kissed Tony along his jaw lightly and smiled. "What do you find so funny?" Ziva questioned with a comforted ease about the situation that was not there but less than an hour prior.

Tony relaxed and regained him composure, taking a moment to return her kisses and savour the feeling of her hot, naked flesh against his."It's normally about now that Gibbs slaps me upside the head and wakes up up from a nap in the bullpen," Tony chuckled. "But this is real, isn't it?"

Ziva rested her head on his shoulder content for the moment. "It is real Tony. That being said, what will we do now?" she asked, curiousity getting the better of her.

"Ziva, I just told you that I love you, and I didn't say it to get you into bed. I meant every word," Tony smiled, "But if this, whatever this is, continues, we have to keep it a secret... at least for now, because if Gibbs found out..."

"Rule 12," she sighed. "He's really got to be a ball banger!" She shivered as her body temperature was beginning to return to normal. "We could just deal with things as they come along. If he finds out, then so be it. He's broken his own rules too. How much can Gibbs really hold it over us for admitting to the truth?"

"One day I'll tell you what happened to Kate's predecessor..." Tony sighed, thinking back to Agent Blackadder's untimely reassignment following an impromptu meeting with one of the name tags from Legal.

"Maybe you're right, we take each day as it comes. As soon as we enter headquarters we're strictly professional," he didn't believe one word of that, he already had plans for the two of them in the Directors Office, Autopsy, Abby's Lab, the Elevator and MTAC if he could wing it.

Ziva sat up and narrowed her gaze on him. She always seemed to know just what he was thinking and right then, like many more times before, she laughed. "Liar! You are thinking about us doing it like bunnies all over the place at work!" she exclaimed and jabbed her finger into his shoulder.

"No... how dare you think such a thing! Not even five minutes into the relationship and you already don't trust me," he teased before brushing some of her hair out of her face. "Besides, I know you'd love to get your hands on me in MTAC... all those screens, all those cameras..."

She raised an eyebrow, "No. I am certain Gibbs would find out about that quicker then our relationship. Abby on the other hand, she is more perceptive than we give her credit for." Stretching her limbs out she looked around. Her head was still foggy from the post-coital hormones and Ziva was enjoying the high they provided.

Tugging on the edge of the blanket that was bunched up underneath Tony, she moved off his form to seek the warmth of the covers. "For now, we shall sleep and discuss more in the morning our way to my apartment."

"Okay," Tony sighed contently as he settled himself and his lover under the covers, still not willing to let her go. Kissing her forehead, he closed his eyes and thought about what the future held for them.

After several minutes of contented silence in the arms of the woman he had been in love with for the last several years he murmured, "Ziva."

"Hm?"

"I'm glad you're real."


End file.
